Insights and Inspiration – Exploring the impact of guest speakers in schools

Teachers teach because they care about young people and the futures they will have. Their passion is an investment in potential. Guest speakers are one key lever among many that schools use to inspire young people about possible futures and what it might take to reach them, as well as broaden students’ horizons to see the world outside of their classroom and local community.

In this study, we’ve conducted primary research with schools across our networks to create three new UK datasets. Such schools have typically engaged with or shown interest in services to bring employers into their practice. Collectively, these datasets contribute to our understanding of why teachers who invite guest speakers keep doing it, how they deliver talks, and the impact this can have on young people. These datasets consist of:

A survey with 327 staff from 303 state schools and colleges in our networks plus 6 follow-up interviews
A survey with 858 state school students from around 50 schools and colleges in our networks
Interviews with 14 high-performing independent schools, supported by desk research

Our research strongly supported the important contribution of guest speakers to modern education.